Snow thrower



T. E. MEAD SNOW THROWER Nov. 6, 1956 v Filed July 2, 1953 ATTURN 5.

United States Patent Oflice 2,769,255 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 SNOW THROWERTheodore E. Mead, Wilmette, 111.

Application July 2, 1953, Serial No. 365,689

Claims. (Cl. 37-43) This invention relates to a snow thrower and toapparatus for discharging particulate or powdered material.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus which may bemanipulated with ease and precision while discharging large volumes ofsnow, or the like, laterally of the path traversed by the vehicle. Otherspecific objects and advantages will appear as the specificationproceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a broken perspective view ofthrower apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a front view inelevation, a part of the apparatus being shown in vertical section; Fig.3, a vertical sectional view, the section being taken as indicated atline 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a sectional view, the section being takenas indicated at line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In the illustration given, designates a shaft which is mounted upon thespaced side Wheels 11 and 12. I prefer to equip the hub 13 of the wheelswith antifriction bearings 14, whereby the wheels may rotate upon theshaft 10 independently of the rotation of shaft 10. Mounted upon one endof the shaft 10 is a pulley 15.

I provide a shield 16 having a lower follower portion 17, the shieldbeing suspended upon the shaft 10 and preferably upon the bearings 18disposed inwardly of the antifriction bearings 14. The shield frame 16may be of any suitable shape or construction. In the illustration given,it is substantially U-shaped, with the open part of the U facing thewheels 11 and 12. On one side of the frame 16 and adjacent wheel 12, theframe 16 is provided with a side wall or flange 19. The side wall 19,which closes one end of the trough-like shield structure 16, isapertured and is mounted upon the bearing 18, as shown more clearly inFig. 2. The other end of the frame 16 is provided withinwardly-extending braces or arms 20 and Y 21 which are joined to a ring22 mounted upon the bearing 18, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 1.In this manner, the housing or shield structure 16 is suspended by theantifrictionmeans upon the shaft 10 independently of the wheels 11 and12.

Upon the rear portion of the shield 16 is mounted a motor bracketsupport 23, and a motor 24 rests thereon. The drive shaft 25 of themotor 24 is supported within a bearing 26 mounted upon the bracket 23and the end of the shaft 25 carries a small pulley 27. A belt 28connects pulley 27 with the pulley 15 of shaft 10.

Fixed upon shaft 10 is a worm 29, having relatively wide inclinedsurfaces for directing the snow laterally toward the front of the deviceand the wheel 11. The wide spiral blades give a blowing effect which ishighly effective in removing snow and similar material. In the specificstructure shown, the worm 29 is mounted upon a hollow tube 30 providedat its ends wtih plugs 31 welded to the tube 30. The plugs 31 may besecured to the shaft 10 by pins 32, or other suitable means.

The shield structure 16 may be supported upon the forward end of apropelling device or, if desired, handle means 33 may be provided formanual operation of the thrower.

In the structure shown, it will be noted that the side wall 19 closesone end of the structure to prevent movement of snow, etc., in onedirection while the snow moves freely in the opposite direction and maypass through the large openings in the side wheel 11 as well asforwardly of the wheel. Rapid rotation of the worm moves the snow in thepath of the thrower entirely away from the path and laterally thereof sothat the snow is deposited on one side of the sidewalk, driveway, orother area which is being cleared.

I have found that very effective operation is brought about byterminating the follower portion 17 of the shield 16 at a pointrearwardly of a vertical line drawn through the center of shaft 10. Byplacing the forward edge of the follower, 17 at a point to the rear ofthe shaft 10, as indicated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, I find thatthe worm edge is supported slightly above the surface and that it ishighly effective in removing all of the snow from the surface.Irrespective of the rotation of the shield frame 16 upon the shaft 10,the leading edge of the follower 17 is behind the center of the worm andeffective gathering action is produced thereby. Even though the shaft 10is rotated rapidly, the independent antifriction bearings 13 enablewheels 11 and 12 to be operated independently thereof and the snow isdriven laterally of the device and through the open spaces of wheel 11.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have shown a specific structurein considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating one phase of theinvention, it will be understood that such details of structure may bevaried widely by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A thrower device, comprising a pair of spaced wheels equipped withantifriction bearings, a shaft journaled in said bearings, a worm fixedupon said shaft, a shield suspended upon said shaft and having itsforward lower edge at the rear of said shaft, and power means forrotating said shaft, said shield being pivotal about the longitudinalaxis of said shaft.

2. Thrower apparatus, comprising a pair of spaced wheels equipped withantifriction bearings, a shaft mounted therein, a worm fixed upon saidshaft, a shield housing equipped with antifriction bearings receivingsaid shaft and being suspended thereon for pivotal movement relativethereto, and power means for rotating said shaft.

3. A thrower device, comprising a pair of spaced wheels equipped withantifriction bearings, a shaft journaled in said bearings, a worm fixedupon said shaft and adapted to drive material laterally toward one ofsaid wheels, said latter wheel having open spaces therein for themovement of material therethrough, a follower shield suspended upon saidshaft, and power means for rotating said shaft.

4. A snow thrower device comprising a pair of spaced wheels equippedwith antifriction bearings, a shaft journaled therein, a worm fixed uponsaid shaft, a shield housing equipped with spaced antifriction bearingsreceiving said shaft and suspended thereon for pivotal movement relativethereto, said housing having a lower follower portion with its leadingedge terminating below said shaft, and power means carried by saidhousing for rotating said shaft, the wheel adjacent the discharge end ofsaid worm having openings therethrough to permit the passage of snowoutwardly therefrom.

5. A snow thrower device, comprising a shaft, a pair of spaced wheel-sequipped with antifriction bearings receiving opposite end portions ofsaid shaft, a shield housing equipped with antifriction bearingsreceiving said shaft for suspending said housing upon said shaft, handlemeans for tilting said housing upon said shaft, power means carried bysaid housing for rotating said shaft, and a. Worm mounted upon saidshaft for directing snow toward one end thereof, said Wheel at said endtoward which said snow is directed being provided with open 5 spaces forthe flow of material therethrough.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Townsend Dec. 30, 1924 Brown Dec. 28, 1937 HeilSept. 4, 1951 Cooper Mar. 24, 1953

